Shakti is an international musical ensemble founded by guitarist John McLaughlin, tabla master Zakir Hussain, violinist L. Shankar, and percussionists Ramnad Raghavan and T.H. "Vikku" Vinayakram. Their Hindi name translates as "creative intelligence, beauty, and power." They play an intense acoustic fusion combining Carnatic and Southern Indian music, structured improvisation, and modern jazz. Their live debut Shakti with John McLaughlin appeared in 1976. 1977's A Handful of Beauty and Natural Elements were studio efforts. In 1978 Shakti splintered to pursue individual project...